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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Justice Department Launches Probe Into CIA Operative's Blown Cover; Casting Net in Tikrit; Interview With Ken Burns

Aired September 29, 2003 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's happening right now. A CIA operative's cover is blown, allegations of a White House leak as political payback. Will investigators be able to track down who gave a CIA operative's name to a newspaper columnist? The questions they're only just beginning over at the White House and over at the CIA.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Exposed, now the Justice Department wants to know whether someone in the Bush administration blew the cover of a CIA operative.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The president believes leaking classified information is a very serious matter and it should be pursued to the fullest extent.

BLITZER: Did human intelligence let Iraq war planners down? A secret Pentagon report may hold the answer.

Night raids, casting the net in Saddam Hussein's hometown.

Tycoons on trial, did they turn a giant conglomerate into their own piggybank?

Imagine driving cross country without paved roads. I'll speak with filmmaker Ken Burns about America's first road trip.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Monday, September 29, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

We begin with a fast-moving story that may have some people rattled over at the White House. A former ambassador who threw cold water on a pre-war claim about Iraq's nuclear program now says the Bush administration struck back by revealing the identity of his wife, a CIA operative. The operative was named by our syndicated columnist and CNN co- host and contributor Robert Novak. The White House says it will cooperate with a Justice Department investigation of the leak. Critics say that's not enough.

Picking up the story from there, CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor, he's joining me live here in our studio -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, CIA lawyers are asking the Justice Department to look into whether to launch a full investigation into the leak of the name of the CIA operative who's the wife of an outspoken critic of the administration's Iraq policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH WILSON, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR: And I must say if it was just to -- out of spite or for revenge, it is really, truly despicable and a public servant on taxpayer money, taxpayer paid salary is wasting his time attacking my family rather than getting on with the nation's business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: Wilson is withdrawing a suggestion it might have been Carl Rove, the president's top political adviser, though he insists his sources say the leak did come out of the White House.

One man who does know who the leaker or leakers are is, of course, Bob Novak of "CROSSFIRE" and the "Chicago Sun-Times" who first made the woman's name public but he is not saying much today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT NOVAK, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": As a professional journalist for 46 years' experience in Washington, I do not reveal confidential sources.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: Novak is calling the controversy overblown and he says it's Bush-bashing. CIA officials note that they routinely ask for leaks investigations, something like 50 times a year. This was just another one of those, they say. Most of them never lead to a prosecution in part, Wolf, because journalists can't reveal their sources or they wouldn't have any.

BLITZER: And no one, of course, expects Bob Novak to reveal the source or sources of this information but he did say something very significant potentially on "CROSSFIRE" only a few moments ago suggesting the CIA employee, the wife of Joe Wilson, was an analyst as opposed to a case officer or an operative, a covert agent if you will. An analyst, obviously, would not be running agents and the identity of analysts is not necessarily all that significant. ENSOR: All I can say is my sources tell me that this is a CIA operative. This is a person who did run agents. This is a person who was out there in the world collecting information.

BLITZER: So, it's potentially a lot more significant than just an analyst. Thanks very much David Ensor for that report.

The White House has certainly been thrown on the defensive as a result of this issue but it does have a real scandal. Does it at least have a real scandal on its hands or is this going to blow over in a day or two?

For that let's turn to our Senior White House Correspondent John King. What's the reaction over there, John?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, most unlikely this will blow over in a day or two. There are the legal questions facing the administration in this investigation just outlined by David Ensor. There is also a growing political controversy. Virtually every one of the Democrats running for president has criticized the administration's handling of this and demanded an independent investigation.

Also demanding independent investigations are many of the leading Democrats on Capitol Hill, among them Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. He says Attorney General John Ashcroft is an appointee of this president not someone who can handle, without people saying there's a conflict of interest, an investigation of such a sensitive matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Leaking the name of a CIA operative is a dastardly act and not only endangers the life of an agent who obviously has put his or her life on the line for America but all of their operatives and the security of America.

It's a despicable thing to do and there -- some of the newspapers report that it was the White House that did it. Well, I don't think that it -- that there's enough independence to let this be done by the attorney general who is, after all, the president's appointee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, the president ignored shouted questions about this today leaving it to his spokesman to answer. Press Secretary Scott McClellan says at least to the best of his knowledge, and other officials here at the White House back this up, there has been no request from the Justice Department as yet for any White House records or to interview any White House staffers.

Scott McClellan also says the president does not believe a special prosecutor is necessary. He thinks Attorney General Ashcroft can handle this, nor has the president asked anyone here at the White House to have an internal investigation despite the fact that those media accounts suggest the leak did come from this White House. Press Secretary McClellan insisting, though, the president takes this matter quite seriously.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCLELLAN: The president has been, I spoke to him earlier today, the president believes leaking classified information is a very serious matter and it should be pursued to the fullest extent by the appropriate agency and the appropriate agency is the Department of Justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, Karl Rove, the president's top political adviser has emphatically denied any role. Ambassador Wilson backing away from his initial allegation that it was Carl Rove who leaked this information and, again, the White House says it has received no contact as yet from the Justice Department.

We are told at that the senior staff meeting this morning Chief of Staff Andy Card say anyone who knows anything should contact the Justice Department but, Wolf, because there has been no formal communication from the Justice Department, there has been no formal directive at all to the White House staff.

BLITZER: John, a quick question, very briefly. This story was written by Bob Novak on July 14, months ago. Why is this an issue right now?

KING: Well, because the investigation is just becoming public now. The CIA asked for this investigation sometime ago as well and that is one of the reasons the Democrats are saying Attorney General Ashcroft cannot handle this investigation because the CIA made the request some time ago and yet there has still been no request at all to interview anyone here at the White House or to check any phone logs or anything like that.

That's one of the reasons the Democrats are saying it should go to a special prosecutor. They will look now to, if you will, connect the dots and the time line as this political debate continues.

BLITZER: CNN's John King over at the White House, thanks John very much.

And here's your chance to weigh in on the story. Our web question of the day is this. "Should there be an independent investigation into who leaked a CIA operative's identity," yes or no? We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq score an apparent success today capturing suspects in the kidnap killings of two soldiers back in June. Meantime, though, a classified Pentagon report indicates a striking failure of pre-war intelligence.

Let's go live to our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, let's begin with what happened this morning. Apparently, a red Capris was trying to run a checkpoint, a U.S. military checkpoint about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

A shootout ensued and when soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division looked in the car they found two M-16 rifles that were assigned to Sergeant 1st Class Gladimir Phillippe and PFC Kevin Ott.

Those were two soldiers who were abducted on June 25 while guarding a cache of weapons in a village located near where Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen loyalists once were headquartered. Their remains were found on June 28 near Taji (ph), Iraq. And the soldiers again capturing three suspects believed connected to that abduction and killed another suspect.

Also today, Pentagon sources tell CNN that a classified DIA assessment concludes that interviews with some Iraqi defectors failed to produce much in the way of usable intelligence before the war. Sources say half a dozen or so defectors brought forward by the Iraqi National Congress, the opposition group headed by Ahmed Chalabi, were questioned by members of the U.S. intelligence community before the war.

While the official acknowledged the information provided what they called some situational awareness of what was going on in Iraq they had no substantive new information about nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre with the latest at the Pentagon. Jamie thanks very much.

And in the war against terror, Pakistan is dismissing a threat against is president by al Qaeda's number two leader. The threat was made in a new audio tape purporting to come from Ayman al-Zawahiri. It was aired by an Arab television network. Intelligence officials are trying to figure out al-Zawahiri's exact location and how he can issue audio messages so quickly to his followers.

CNN National Correspondent Mike Boettcher is covering the story for us. He's joining us live from the CNN Center in Atlanta -- Mike.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, for more than ten years the two top leaders of al Qaeda have rarely been apart but now there is a growing thought within intelligence communities that that may have changed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER (voice-over): Ayman al-Zawahiri, like Osama bin Laden, is believed to be hiding somewhere in Pakistan. Now, however, coalition intelligence analysts suspect that the top two al Qaeda leaders, in the past inseparable, are now in different locations.

The latest audio message said to be from Zawahiri takes aim at Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, condemning his support of America's invasion of Afghanistan and because Pakistan is considering sending troops to Iraq.

PURPORTED VOICE OF AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI (through translator): The Muslims in Pakistan should unite and cooperate in order to oust this traitor and have a loyal leadership in Pakistan, one that will defend the Muslims and Islam.

BOETTCHER: The tape, which is still being verified, mentions Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's visit to India, which means it was recorded within the last three weeks. That's different from the recently released video showing al-Zawahiri with Osama bin Laden. No one knows exactly when that was recorded.

Intelligence officials now believe al-Zawahiri may be moving on his own in an effort to direct al Qaeda operations. They are trying to verify reports he was in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan earlier this year, a place that would allow him to communicate with deputies across the nearby border in Iran.

Pakistan's president, who not incidentally is helping to lead the hunt for both bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, last week shrugged off earlier threats against him.

PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: It is not at all a worry from my side that if he acts the danger to me, my government, there's no such danger at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER: Now, the fact that bin Laden is rarely heard from, according to intelligence analysts in the coalition, contrasts sharply with al-Zawahiri who has been releasing frequent recorded messages and they believe this may mean that bin Laden is deeply dug in somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where it's tough for him to get the word out -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very interesting. Thanks very much, Mike Boettcher with that good reporting for us.

When we come back, pens and paper, the president takes action to stop telemarketers from calling you but will your phone really stop ringing?

Lavish lifestyle on hold; mansions, yachts, and jewelry all on the company bill; more on the men who allegedly looted Tyco out of $600 million.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN BURNS, FILMMAKER: There is no thing that we can do that is more American than getting in a car and striking out across country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Celebrating America's first road trip, an historic and hilarious adventure from San Francisco to New York 100 years ago.

But first today's News Quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): What was America's first gasoline-powered commercial car called, horseless carriage, Model T, motor wagon, Winton touring car, the answer coming up?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Allan Chernoff. I'll have the story of the $600 million man, Dennis Kozlowski, former chief executive of Tyco International, now on trial accused of looting his company coming next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: More twists in the chaos over the do-not-call list. This afternoon, President Bush signed legislation rushed through Congress last week after a court ruled the Federal Trade Commission wasn't authorized to create the list. The president says Americans have a right to shield themselves from unwanted intrusions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The do-not-call registry is still being challenged in court yet the conclusion of the American people and the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch is beyond question. So today, I'm pleased to sign this important piece of legislation into law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The president spoke after the Federal Communications Commission says it's ready to enforce the list but the list is still in limbo because another court ruled the registry violates free speech rights. The FTC is appealing that decision.

Joining us now in Miami with his take on all of this the former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, Kendall thanks very much for joining us. On, what's it called, unwanted intrusions, what's the difference between getting a call, let's say, from Visa or some telemarketer like that or from a pollster or from a charity because clearly there are differences allowed under this FTC decision?

KENDALL COFFEY, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Well, from the standpoint of the district judge in Colorado there isn't a real difference. The concern is privacy that everyone's home is their castle. Your privacy is invaded whether it's Visa, as you say, or whether it's a political party that's calling.

So, one of the big issues is not whether or not there can't be some form of regulation but there has to be a solid basis if you're going to discriminate between calls that are made by businesses and calls that are made by charitable organizations, pollsters, or political calls.

BLITZER: This federal judge in Colorado says it's a question of the First Amendment, freedom of speech. This could go on in the courts for months if not years.

COFFEY: Well, it could. I think Wednesday we're all going to get a little less telephone calls around America because, in part because the associations, most of them are voluntarily saying telemarketers are going to hold back. And also, as you pointed out a moment ago, the Federal Communications Commission is jumping in.

Remember last week's court decisions dealt with the Federal Trade Commission, which deals with advertising but the Federal Communications Commission has jurisdiction over telecommunications so now they said, hey, I wasn't a party to that other litigation.

There's no injunction against me enforcing my rules and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) telling the telemarketers of America just say no to making unwanted calls on Wednesday or you may face fines from this second federal agency.

BLITZER: I guess a lot of these telemarketers are deciding to supposedly volunteer and not make these calls to the 50 million plus who signed up for this do-not-call because they don't want to overly antagonize, make enemies out of these people who think they're not going to be bothered by these phone calls.

COFFEY: Well, Wolf, consider not just 50 million people objecting and complaining but the record pace with which this legislation went through Congress, the president signing it today.

But still, at the end of the day, there's a constitutional issue here. We know that commercial advertising is, in fact, a form of protected free speech. It may not have the constitutional importance that religious communication or political communication do.

But it still deserves some degree of protection and this judge's decision in Colorado is going to work its way through the appeals court and it's going to be a close call as to how it turns out at the end of the day.

BLITZER: In the short-term though we'll probably be getting some fewer calls starting Wednesday.

COFFEY: Fewer calls.

BLITZER: Kendall Coffey thanks very much.

COFFEY: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks for that analysis, appreciate it very much.

And you may not remember his name or his face but you may recall his expensive taste, $6,000 for a shower curtain, $15,000 for an umbrella stand, just to mention a few.

Prosecutors and critics say Dennis Kozlowski has become a symbol for the corporate greed of the boom years of the '90s. The former Tyco chairman and CEO is accused of looting $600 million from his company. Jury selection in his trial began today in New York.

Joining us now to talk about the case, CNN Financial News Correspondent Allan Chernoff, Allan it's a pretty amazing case.

CHERNOFF: Absolutely, Wolf.

In an era of corporate excess this one certainly stands out. Dennis Kozlowski has come to personify the term greed. As you mentioned, charged with looting $600 million from his company Tyco International in cooperation with the company's former Chief Financial Office Mark Schwartz, who is now Kozlowski's co-defendant.

Mr. Kozlowski, as you said, did spend extravagantly, $12 million for a property in Boca Raton, much on art which by the way he is also charged with evading taxes on, an apartment on Park Avenue for his ex- wife and an $18 million duplex on Fifth Avenue furnished with those very famous shower curtain and umbrella stands that cost thousands and thousands of dollars.

Now, Mr. Kozlowski through his defense attorney has argued that the board of directors was aware of the bonus program and the loan program, loans which were forgiven but, clearly, the prosecutors are saying this was not at all what the board had in mind, not what the company's auditors had in mind and that Kozlowski and Schwartz were able to keep this hidden from the board. If convicted, Mr. Kozlowski could face up to 30 years in prison -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, CNN's Allan Chernoff with that story. We'll be following it. Thanks very much Allan.

In the home stretch in California, a new poll predicts a surprising outcome.

An inside Iraq, one-on-one with U.S. troops, retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepherd just back from the region. We'll have his firsthand assessment. That's coming up.

And can charm work where diplomacy failed? The First Lady Laura Bush gives it a try. She meets with the French president. We'll go live to Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

With just over a week to go things are not looking especially good for the California Governor Gray Davis. The latest poll numbers indicate probable voters are now prepared to throw him out of office by a wide margin in next week's recall election.

CNN National Correspondent Bob Franken is following all of these late developments for us from Los Angeles -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Note the term probable voters, Wolf, as opposed to likely voters, a reflection on the part of the people who put together the poll for CNN/USA Today and the Gallup organization of the unpredictability of this selection.

Nevertheless, that snapshot shows a big, big vote for the recall, very bad news for Governor Gray Davis if it's borne out, 63 percent of those polled said yes they would support the recall if the election was held today, no, 35 percent.

In addition to which Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to this poll, has substantially moved up in the polls, Schwarzenegger at 40 percent, Bustamante 25 percent, bad news for the Democrats. On the face of it good news for Schwarzenegger but Schwarzenegger was focusing on what he says are the characteristic attack ads of Governor Davis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's to be expected when the polls look bad for Davis and good for me that he would just go and start campaigning the traditional way, which is negative campaigning and all that stuff. I mean that's, you know, the only way he can do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Well, the Davis people say that the Schwarzenegger people started this with this countless relentless attacks on Davis and, anyway, he was just challenging Schwarzenegger to debate with him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: We're going to have a long range debate if we can't have a real live debate. I don't know what Mr. Schwarzenegger is afraid of. I mean I never participated in a Mr. Universe contest. I weigh maybe 165 pounds on a good day. I'm ready to go to it toe-to-toe but he seems to be the one on the run here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Back on the Republican side just in the last few minutes, the Republican Party of California has departed from its normal procedures, the leaders announcing that they would be endorsing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Of course, the other Republican in the race, Tom McClintock, he's holding a news conference about a half hour from now. They would not announce, Wolf, what the subject was going to be except that McClintock would accept a campaign challenge. About the only challenge out there, of course, is the challenge to debate Governor Gray Davis but they're saying we're going to have to wait and see.

As far as this election is concerned, the polls notwithstanding, we'll have to wait and see a little bit over a week -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And a little over a week is going to be coming up very, very soon. Bob, very quickly, as you well know the Gray Davis, the Democrats out there insisting our poll, the CNN/USA Today Gallup poll is way wrong. Their overnight tracking polls show a much, much closer race.

They're also telling me, some of these Democrats close to Gray Davis that they did see a significant narrowing when Bill Clinton, the former president was out there. He helped narrow the gap. Are you hearing any indications that the former president is going to make a repeat visit to California to help Gray Davis?

FRANKEN: I'm hearing an indication that they certainly want him to. They're talking to him about it and, of course, Wolf you're experiencing what I am and that is that all sides are furiously spinning. In that way, it's pretty much like any other election.

BLITZER: There's no difference between this election and any other election you and I have covered. Bob Franken thanks very much.

A general's report from Iraq, the Pentagon invited our military analyst, the retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepherd to spend some time with U.S. forces in Iraq. We'll get his insight. That's coming up.

And, let bygones be bygones, the First Lady Laura Bush pays a social call on the French President Jacques Chirac. We're live from Paris. Our Soledad O'Brien is standing by.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: This is the way that we grow up. This is the way that we enter our history, get in a car and find the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Riding along on America's first cross country road trip 100 years ago. The filmmaker Ken Burns captured the historic journey. He joins me live. That's coming up as well. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Trendsetters. Demi Moore has been doing it. Elizabeth Taylor has done it. And now -- get this -- almost a third of middle- age single women -- they're doing it as well. Find out what their love lives have in common. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Breaking the back of the Fedayeen. U.S. forces launch raids in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. We'll get there.

But first, let's have a quick check of the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: It's been another bloody day in Iraq. Iraqi surgents ambushed U.S. convoys, killing at least one soldier and wounding another one. The attacks come as a joint American- Iraqi force raid Saddam Hussein's hometown.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck is in Baghdad and he has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One U.S. soldier was killed and one was wounded near Habania (ph), the area around Fallujah. Apparently the military Humvee they were traveling in either hit a land mine or was hit by an improvised explosive device. And soldiers traveling in that convoy exchanged fire with the people believed to have set those explosives in the road for several hours.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, six more U.S. soldiers were wounded when the convoy they were traveling in, also in the area around Fallujah, hit an explosive device in the road. Those six wounded were taken to a military hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the raids to find those responsible for these attacks continue in the area around Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. The series of raids conducted late over the weekend resulted in the detention of dozens of suspects.

At least one of those raids was conducted as a joint operation between the U.S. military and the new Iraqi police force. Some 200 Iraqi policemen raided 15 houses in downtown Tikrit. They detained four men and found large stores of weapons and ammunition.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Harris.

The Pentagon recently invited a number of analysts, media representatives and retired U.S. military officers to visit Iraq.

Wearing all three of those hats is our own CNN military analyst, the U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepperd. He had his video camera and notebook with him. And he's joining us now here in the studio with what might call a situation report.

General Shepperd, welcome back. Glad to make sure that you got back safe and sound.

You took some home video, amateur video, but very good video. First of all, the mass graves that you saw. What exactly did you see?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, this was north of Babylon, of all places, Mahawiel (ph), the Tigris- Euphrates value, perhaps the site of the Garden of Eden. And out in this open field, 3,500 people have been uncovered there; 2,100 of them have been identified in some manner and perhaps as many as 15,000 there.

What remains on top of the ground in little mounds is plastic bags with the remains of the people that have been unidentified, their clothing, this time of thing. People shot at close range, people buried alive. There have even been some people that crawled out after being buried alive that have survived today to testify on this.

BLITZER: Well, we all knew Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator. But what did this show you?

SHEPPERD: I tell you, you can talk about it in the abstract. When you're there, it's very, very difficult to view in person and see this and realize there are, perhaps, 200 or 300 other sites like this across Iraq, 300,000, perhaps as many as half a million people executed in this manner by this regime, Wolf. It's difficult.

BLITZER: You also had a chance to speak with Iraqis, provincial leaders, others on the scene working with the coalition. What was your impression of these people?

SHEPPERD: My impression of these people, in fact, what they said to us is, we need your help. We want you to stay long enough. We want to take over and then we want you gone. But they're no matter -- they're nowhere ready for us to go yet.

Further, these people are in great danger. Many of them have been targeted and assassination attempts have been made on some of them. It's a difficult situation for them.

BLITZER: U.S. commanders on the ground told you some surprising things about their mission that they're trying to fulfill right now.

SHEPPERD: Yes. They're -- they're very, very optimistic. That kind of surprised me, the level of optimism on what they can do. And what they can do is make it safe enough to turn over the Iraqis so that we can get out. But it's going to take some time.

They other thing is, I thought they'd tell us, Hey, confidentially, we need a lot more troops. And they said, No, we don't need more troops to do what we're doing now. If the mission expands to sealing off the borders or attacking al Qaeda or preventing a civil war, they might need more troops. But right now, they say they've got enough to do what they need.

BLITZER: With your video camera, you went out and spoke with U.S. troops. I want to play a little excerpt of one conversation you had with some American troops out there. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morale is great. The soldiers are amazing every day. They understand why they're here. They see that they're making a difference everyday in what they do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About as good as can be expected, I think, being away from home for so long. But I think they folks are holding up well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do what we need to do, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Generally speaking, morale -- how was it?

SHEPPERD: Very good.

Now the first person you saw was Major General Raymond Odonero, (ph). He's the man on the spot in Tikrit, 4th Infantry Division. He's the man looking for Saddam. I asked him, Do you believe he's alive? Do you believe he's still in Iraq? He said, I believe he's alive, in Iraq, and near here, and I believe we'll find him.

The other folks were asking about the morale. Some of those were reservists that have been extended a couple times. And even their morale -- they said, Now, they're getting things under order. We know that we're going to go home. We know the schedule. And things seem to be working out.

But the most thing is -- the most important thing is, you don't concentrate on morale. You look for dispirited troops. They all understand why they're there. They all want to be home today. Morale is very good.

BLITZER: All right. General Shepperd, welcome back. Thanks for joining us. Good work.

International appeal. A trip abroad gives the first lady, Laura Bush, an opportunity to mend some fences overseas. We'll go live to Paris. Our Soledad O'Brien is covering the first lady.

And in the driver's seat for America's first road trip. The famed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns talks with me live about an unforgettable journey he's reporting on.

First, in case you were out enjoying the weekend, here is our "Weekend Snapshot."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Vatican promotions. Pope John Paul II has named 31 new cardinals. The announcement came yesterday at the Vatican. The new cardinals will be elevated during ceremonies late next month, marking John Paul's 25th anniversary as head of the Roman Catholic Church. One American is among the group.

Death of a history maker. Althea Gibson, the first African- American to win Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles, died yesterday. The South Carolina native was 76. In 1950, Gibson became the first black tennis player allowed to compete in the U.S. Open.

Wild ride at the race. Some frightening moments yesterday during the EA Sports 500 at the Talladega super speedway. Elliott Sadler (ph) was taken out of the race in a spectacular crash. His car flipped several times on the back stretch. Sadler (ph) was taken to a hospital, where he was examined and released.

Close but not worst. The Detroit Tigers avoided the 1962 U.S. New York Mets modern-day record for losses with a 9-4 victory over Minnesota yesterday. The Tigers were just one game away from tying the Mets' record-setting 120 losses.

Beast on the loose. A gorilla is back in captivity after terrifying visitors at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. The animal broke out of its enclosure last night, injuring a 2-year-old girl and a zoo worker. The gorilla was eventually shot with tranquilizer darts as he roamed through nearby streets. And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked, what was America's first gasoline- powered commercial car called? The answer, motor wagon. The first one was sold in 1896. The vehicles were considered toys for the rich and unsuitable for serious travel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was the beginning of America's first road trip, a trip that would collect a thousand impressions of a country and a people on the cusp of extraordinary change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And this is an extraordinary story, indeed. A week from today, PBS airs a new film that spotlights an historic road trip, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson's cross-country drive in 1903. That's 100 years ago. The trip is called a fascinating and entertaining story by the man who made the film, Ken Burns. He is joining us now to talk about this intriguing, amazing story. Talk about the history of this. How did you come about this? KEN BURNS, FILM MAKER: Well, a partner of mine, Dayton Duncan (ph), stumbled upon the story about 13 years ago. He was reading about the Lincoln Highway, and it mentioned the first cross-country automobile trip in three paragraphs, but nobody has done anything.

This is a country that loves firsts. We love everything first. We love our cars and we love our road trips, and here is the story of America's first road trip. So for the last 13 years we have been digging and digging, triangulating, going to the small podunk western towns that he drove through that had never seen a car before, getting the pictures they took of him, finding the picture he took, and tracking down miraculously, after literally hundreds of cold calls, all of the letters and telegrams he sent from every stop along the way, and got Tom Hanks, our American everyman, to read the story of this American everyman from 100 years ago.

BLITZER: How long did it take?

BURNS: It took him 63 days. He had wagered -- it was all done on a bet. He was in a men's club in San Francisco. Somebody poo-poos the automobile. They said it will never replace a horse. He plunks down 50 bucks, he says I bet I can get from San Francisco to New York in less than three months, something no one else had ever done, and many people with automotive experience had tried and failed, not only miserably but hilariously. And so he sets off on the greatest journey of his life, takes along a 22-year-old mechanic, later buys a dog named Bud. All three wear goggles on this windshieldless, topless car, and make their way, grope their way across a country that has 2.3 million miles of road, but only 150 miles are paved, and all of those are in cities. So he's on cow paths, two tracks, railroad rideaways, and it is a hilarious scene.

BLITZER: What about gasoline? Where does he find gasoline? It is not as if there is an Exxon or Mobil every 10 miles.

BURNS: No, no, no. This is an age when you might have farm equipment that would run on internal combustion engines, you might have some heaters, some water pumps. So at a general store, you pray, you hope in Alturas, California or Lakeview, Oregon or Hailey, Idaho might have gasoline in containers.

But this is also a newfangled thing. It's breaking down all the tenants. It's very much like the computer industry in the '70s and the '80s where everybody is working out of their garage. And each car is this weird, hybrid contraption. And so he's figuring -- he's getting a blacksmith to build him a part, he's waiting for the stagecoach to bring him spare parts -- the stagecoach of all things -- and being towed out of the desert by the symbol of the 19th century, a cowboy, a one-horse powered engine, taking him out of the desert. I mean, it's just an amazing story.

BLITZER: It really is an amazing thing. It's almost like when Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic with a plane. This is almost the equivalent.

BURNS: This is what I don't understand, why we're not taught this. This is the same year that the Wright brothers make their first flight, it's 100 years after Lewis and Clark. This is a magnificent moment of transportation. I mean, you would be hard pressed to say that there was no machine more important than the car in the last 100 years. Nothing has been more influential in how we live, how we work, what's worked itself into our songs, into our mythology. The idea of a road trip is very much in everyone's life, and this is the first road trip. And so we're thrilled to be able to share it. It's the best thing about it, it's a bottom-up story, it's fun and funny.

BLITZER: "Horatio's Drive, America's First Road Trip." I think everybody is going to love this and I know I can't wait to see it.

BURNS: I can't wait for you to see it either.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Ken.

BURNS: Thank you.

BLITZER: A week from today on PBS. We'll be watching.

The first lady goes on a solo mission of her own, to France this time. We'll take a look at her fence-mending trip. We'll go live to Paris. That's coming up.

Plus -- what does Demi Moore know about younger men and dating that millions of other women her age are starting to pick up? We'll tell you about that. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The United States is, once again, part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations, better known as UNESCO. After a Cold War era withdrawal almost 20 years ago. The first lady, Laura Bush, was on hand for the ceremony. Part of her solo fence-mending diplomatic tour to France and Russia.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien is traveling with the first lady. And Soledad is joining us now live from Paris.

Pretty exciting trip -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. Pretty exciting and a busy day for the first lady who is wrapping things up. She started this morning with a meeting with the French President Jacques Chirac. You, of course, recall back to the frosty handshake between President Bush and President Chirac. Well, this time a completely different story as he took the first lady's hand and kissed it before he ushered her into the palace for a brief but private meeting. A White House official who attended that meeting quoted President Chirac saying let bygones be bygones. In fact, when we asked her about that, she said she agreed about what President Chirac had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I fully expect the relationship between the United States and France to continue to be very very strong. Sure, we'll have disagreements. But we'll have disagreements with a lot of people but continue to have a very strong relationship with them. It is really in our interest and the interest of France that we continue a strong friendship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Outside of the fence-mending relationships, the real reason that the first lady was in Paris was to deliver the keynote speech at UNESCO, the United States is rejoining after 19 years. Quit in 1984 citing bad management, essentially. The ceremony was capped off with a flag raising ceremony where the United States flag joined the 189 other member nations. The new Iraqi minister wanted a little time the first lady and he was granted a short audience. In her speech she stuck to issues she knows well, education and illiteracy. And She very comfortable, her speech was warmly received.

What kind of impact will her visit here have?

Some people have said good will, terrific, but does it have any real ability to make bygones be bygones to paraphrase the French President?

And in some ways time will tell if it really goes a long way in healing the fences -- Wolf.

BLITZER: There's no doubt she's an excellent diplomat for the United States, Laura Bush.

Soledad O'Brien covering the story. We'll be checking back with you tomorrow. Thanks Soledad, very much. Have a safe journey.

Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this, should there be an independent investigation into who leaked a CIA operatives identity?

Vote right now, cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the result for you when we come back.

First though let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Some feared it was an attempted assassination. Chechnya's prime minister was flown to Moscow after becoming severely ill. Doctors say it looks like a case of bad food poisoning.

You might not think of Canada as hurricane country? But it is today Hurricane Juan slammed into Nova Scotia with winds as high as 89 miles an hour and rain. At least two people died and thousands lost power.

Italy is getting back to normal after the largest blackout to hit that country since World War II. Almost all 57 million people lost power. Officials suspect it may have started with a tree branch knocking out a line in Switzerland.

A river boat carrying more than 350 people ran aground on the Rhine River in Germany. Several passengers suffered broken bones, dozens more had bumps and bruises. Water levels on the Rhine are extremely low after a summer of record heat and drought.

And here's something to cry over. The goal of this annual contest in Japan is to find the baby with the loudest cry. The Japanese say a healthy howl indicates a healthy child.

That's our look "Around the World.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: When it comes to older women dating younger men, actress Demi Moore is not alone. Look at this. Moore is 40-years-old has been dating Ashton Kutcher who is 15 years younger. Now a new survey by the AARP says such relations are getting a lot more common. A close to one-third of unmarried American women in their 40's through 60's who date are going out with younger men. Very interesting.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Blown Cover; Casting Net in Tikrit; Interview With Ken Burns>


Aired September 29, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's happening right now. A CIA operative's cover is blown, allegations of a White House leak as political payback. Will investigators be able to track down who gave a CIA operative's name to a newspaper columnist? The questions they're only just beginning over at the White House and over at the CIA.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Exposed, now the Justice Department wants to know whether someone in the Bush administration blew the cover of a CIA operative.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The president believes leaking classified information is a very serious matter and it should be pursued to the fullest extent.

BLITZER: Did human intelligence let Iraq war planners down? A secret Pentagon report may hold the answer.

Night raids, casting the net in Saddam Hussein's hometown.

Tycoons on trial, did they turn a giant conglomerate into their own piggybank?

Imagine driving cross country without paved roads. I'll speak with filmmaker Ken Burns about America's first road trip.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Monday, September 29, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

We begin with a fast-moving story that may have some people rattled over at the White House. A former ambassador who threw cold water on a pre-war claim about Iraq's nuclear program now says the Bush administration struck back by revealing the identity of his wife, a CIA operative. The operative was named by our syndicated columnist and CNN co- host and contributor Robert Novak. The White House says it will cooperate with a Justice Department investigation of the leak. Critics say that's not enough.

Picking up the story from there, CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor, he's joining me live here in our studio -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, CIA lawyers are asking the Justice Department to look into whether to launch a full investigation into the leak of the name of the CIA operative who's the wife of an outspoken critic of the administration's Iraq policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH WILSON, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR: And I must say if it was just to -- out of spite or for revenge, it is really, truly despicable and a public servant on taxpayer money, taxpayer paid salary is wasting his time attacking my family rather than getting on with the nation's business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: Wilson is withdrawing a suggestion it might have been Carl Rove, the president's top political adviser, though he insists his sources say the leak did come out of the White House.

One man who does know who the leaker or leakers are is, of course, Bob Novak of "CROSSFIRE" and the "Chicago Sun-Times" who first made the woman's name public but he is not saying much today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT NOVAK, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": As a professional journalist for 46 years' experience in Washington, I do not reveal confidential sources.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: Novak is calling the controversy overblown and he says it's Bush-bashing. CIA officials note that they routinely ask for leaks investigations, something like 50 times a year. This was just another one of those, they say. Most of them never lead to a prosecution in part, Wolf, because journalists can't reveal their sources or they wouldn't have any.

BLITZER: And no one, of course, expects Bob Novak to reveal the source or sources of this information but he did say something very significant potentially on "CROSSFIRE" only a few moments ago suggesting the CIA employee, the wife of Joe Wilson, was an analyst as opposed to a case officer or an operative, a covert agent if you will. An analyst, obviously, would not be running agents and the identity of analysts is not necessarily all that significant. ENSOR: All I can say is my sources tell me that this is a CIA operative. This is a person who did run agents. This is a person who was out there in the world collecting information.

BLITZER: So, it's potentially a lot more significant than just an analyst. Thanks very much David Ensor for that report.

The White House has certainly been thrown on the defensive as a result of this issue but it does have a real scandal. Does it at least have a real scandal on its hands or is this going to blow over in a day or two?

For that let's turn to our Senior White House Correspondent John King. What's the reaction over there, John?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, most unlikely this will blow over in a day or two. There are the legal questions facing the administration in this investigation just outlined by David Ensor. There is also a growing political controversy. Virtually every one of the Democrats running for president has criticized the administration's handling of this and demanded an independent investigation.

Also demanding independent investigations are many of the leading Democrats on Capitol Hill, among them Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. He says Attorney General John Ashcroft is an appointee of this president not someone who can handle, without people saying there's a conflict of interest, an investigation of such a sensitive matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Leaking the name of a CIA operative is a dastardly act and not only endangers the life of an agent who obviously has put his or her life on the line for America but all of their operatives and the security of America.

It's a despicable thing to do and there -- some of the newspapers report that it was the White House that did it. Well, I don't think that it -- that there's enough independence to let this be done by the attorney general who is, after all, the president's appointee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, the president ignored shouted questions about this today leaving it to his spokesman to answer. Press Secretary Scott McClellan says at least to the best of his knowledge, and other officials here at the White House back this up, there has been no request from the Justice Department as yet for any White House records or to interview any White House staffers.

Scott McClellan also says the president does not believe a special prosecutor is necessary. He thinks Attorney General Ashcroft can handle this, nor has the president asked anyone here at the White House to have an internal investigation despite the fact that those media accounts suggest the leak did come from this White House. Press Secretary McClellan insisting, though, the president takes this matter quite seriously.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCLELLAN: The president has been, I spoke to him earlier today, the president believes leaking classified information is a very serious matter and it should be pursued to the fullest extent by the appropriate agency and the appropriate agency is the Department of Justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, Karl Rove, the president's top political adviser has emphatically denied any role. Ambassador Wilson backing away from his initial allegation that it was Carl Rove who leaked this information and, again, the White House says it has received no contact as yet from the Justice Department.

We are told at that the senior staff meeting this morning Chief of Staff Andy Card say anyone who knows anything should contact the Justice Department but, Wolf, because there has been no formal communication from the Justice Department, there has been no formal directive at all to the White House staff.

BLITZER: John, a quick question, very briefly. This story was written by Bob Novak on July 14, months ago. Why is this an issue right now?

KING: Well, because the investigation is just becoming public now. The CIA asked for this investigation sometime ago as well and that is one of the reasons the Democrats are saying Attorney General Ashcroft cannot handle this investigation because the CIA made the request some time ago and yet there has still been no request at all to interview anyone here at the White House or to check any phone logs or anything like that.

That's one of the reasons the Democrats are saying it should go to a special prosecutor. They will look now to, if you will, connect the dots and the time line as this political debate continues.

BLITZER: CNN's John King over at the White House, thanks John very much.

And here's your chance to weigh in on the story. Our web question of the day is this. "Should there be an independent investigation into who leaked a CIA operative's identity," yes or no? We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq score an apparent success today capturing suspects in the kidnap killings of two soldiers back in June. Meantime, though, a classified Pentagon report indicates a striking failure of pre-war intelligence.

Let's go live to our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, let's begin with what happened this morning. Apparently, a red Capris was trying to run a checkpoint, a U.S. military checkpoint about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

A shootout ensued and when soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division looked in the car they found two M-16 rifles that were assigned to Sergeant 1st Class Gladimir Phillippe and PFC Kevin Ott.

Those were two soldiers who were abducted on June 25 while guarding a cache of weapons in a village located near where Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen loyalists once were headquartered. Their remains were found on June 28 near Taji (ph), Iraq. And the soldiers again capturing three suspects believed connected to that abduction and killed another suspect.

Also today, Pentagon sources tell CNN that a classified DIA assessment concludes that interviews with some Iraqi defectors failed to produce much in the way of usable intelligence before the war. Sources say half a dozen or so defectors brought forward by the Iraqi National Congress, the opposition group headed by Ahmed Chalabi, were questioned by members of the U.S. intelligence community before the war.

While the official acknowledged the information provided what they called some situational awareness of what was going on in Iraq they had no substantive new information about nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre with the latest at the Pentagon. Jamie thanks very much.

And in the war against terror, Pakistan is dismissing a threat against is president by al Qaeda's number two leader. The threat was made in a new audio tape purporting to come from Ayman al-Zawahiri. It was aired by an Arab television network. Intelligence officials are trying to figure out al-Zawahiri's exact location and how he can issue audio messages so quickly to his followers.

CNN National Correspondent Mike Boettcher is covering the story for us. He's joining us live from the CNN Center in Atlanta -- Mike.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, for more than ten years the two top leaders of al Qaeda have rarely been apart but now there is a growing thought within intelligence communities that that may have changed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER (voice-over): Ayman al-Zawahiri, like Osama bin Laden, is believed to be hiding somewhere in Pakistan. Now, however, coalition intelligence analysts suspect that the top two al Qaeda leaders, in the past inseparable, are now in different locations.

The latest audio message said to be from Zawahiri takes aim at Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, condemning his support of America's invasion of Afghanistan and because Pakistan is considering sending troops to Iraq.

PURPORTED VOICE OF AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI (through translator): The Muslims in Pakistan should unite and cooperate in order to oust this traitor and have a loyal leadership in Pakistan, one that will defend the Muslims and Islam.

BOETTCHER: The tape, which is still being verified, mentions Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's visit to India, which means it was recorded within the last three weeks. That's different from the recently released video showing al-Zawahiri with Osama bin Laden. No one knows exactly when that was recorded.

Intelligence officials now believe al-Zawahiri may be moving on his own in an effort to direct al Qaeda operations. They are trying to verify reports he was in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan earlier this year, a place that would allow him to communicate with deputies across the nearby border in Iran.

Pakistan's president, who not incidentally is helping to lead the hunt for both bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, last week shrugged off earlier threats against him.

PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: It is not at all a worry from my side that if he acts the danger to me, my government, there's no such danger at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER: Now, the fact that bin Laden is rarely heard from, according to intelligence analysts in the coalition, contrasts sharply with al-Zawahiri who has been releasing frequent recorded messages and they believe this may mean that bin Laden is deeply dug in somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where it's tough for him to get the word out -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very interesting. Thanks very much, Mike Boettcher with that good reporting for us.

When we come back, pens and paper, the president takes action to stop telemarketers from calling you but will your phone really stop ringing?

Lavish lifestyle on hold; mansions, yachts, and jewelry all on the company bill; more on the men who allegedly looted Tyco out of $600 million.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN BURNS, FILMMAKER: There is no thing that we can do that is more American than getting in a car and striking out across country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Celebrating America's first road trip, an historic and hilarious adventure from San Francisco to New York 100 years ago.

But first today's News Quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): What was America's first gasoline-powered commercial car called, horseless carriage, Model T, motor wagon, Winton touring car, the answer coming up?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Allan Chernoff. I'll have the story of the $600 million man, Dennis Kozlowski, former chief executive of Tyco International, now on trial accused of looting his company coming next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: More twists in the chaos over the do-not-call list. This afternoon, President Bush signed legislation rushed through Congress last week after a court ruled the Federal Trade Commission wasn't authorized to create the list. The president says Americans have a right to shield themselves from unwanted intrusions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The do-not-call registry is still being challenged in court yet the conclusion of the American people and the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch is beyond question. So today, I'm pleased to sign this important piece of legislation into law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The president spoke after the Federal Communications Commission says it's ready to enforce the list but the list is still in limbo because another court ruled the registry violates free speech rights. The FTC is appealing that decision.

Joining us now in Miami with his take on all of this the former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, Kendall thanks very much for joining us. On, what's it called, unwanted intrusions, what's the difference between getting a call, let's say, from Visa or some telemarketer like that or from a pollster or from a charity because clearly there are differences allowed under this FTC decision?

KENDALL COFFEY, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Well, from the standpoint of the district judge in Colorado there isn't a real difference. The concern is privacy that everyone's home is their castle. Your privacy is invaded whether it's Visa, as you say, or whether it's a political party that's calling.

So, one of the big issues is not whether or not there can't be some form of regulation but there has to be a solid basis if you're going to discriminate between calls that are made by businesses and calls that are made by charitable organizations, pollsters, or political calls.

BLITZER: This federal judge in Colorado says it's a question of the First Amendment, freedom of speech. This could go on in the courts for months if not years.

COFFEY: Well, it could. I think Wednesday we're all going to get a little less telephone calls around America because, in part because the associations, most of them are voluntarily saying telemarketers are going to hold back. And also, as you pointed out a moment ago, the Federal Communications Commission is jumping in.

Remember last week's court decisions dealt with the Federal Trade Commission, which deals with advertising but the Federal Communications Commission has jurisdiction over telecommunications so now they said, hey, I wasn't a party to that other litigation.

There's no injunction against me enforcing my rules and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) telling the telemarketers of America just say no to making unwanted calls on Wednesday or you may face fines from this second federal agency.

BLITZER: I guess a lot of these telemarketers are deciding to supposedly volunteer and not make these calls to the 50 million plus who signed up for this do-not-call because they don't want to overly antagonize, make enemies out of these people who think they're not going to be bothered by these phone calls.

COFFEY: Well, Wolf, consider not just 50 million people objecting and complaining but the record pace with which this legislation went through Congress, the president signing it today.

But still, at the end of the day, there's a constitutional issue here. We know that commercial advertising is, in fact, a form of protected free speech. It may not have the constitutional importance that religious communication or political communication do.

But it still deserves some degree of protection and this judge's decision in Colorado is going to work its way through the appeals court and it's going to be a close call as to how it turns out at the end of the day.

BLITZER: In the short-term though we'll probably be getting some fewer calls starting Wednesday.

COFFEY: Fewer calls.

BLITZER: Kendall Coffey thanks very much.

COFFEY: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks for that analysis, appreciate it very much.

And you may not remember his name or his face but you may recall his expensive taste, $6,000 for a shower curtain, $15,000 for an umbrella stand, just to mention a few.

Prosecutors and critics say Dennis Kozlowski has become a symbol for the corporate greed of the boom years of the '90s. The former Tyco chairman and CEO is accused of looting $600 million from his company. Jury selection in his trial began today in New York.

Joining us now to talk about the case, CNN Financial News Correspondent Allan Chernoff, Allan it's a pretty amazing case.

CHERNOFF: Absolutely, Wolf.

In an era of corporate excess this one certainly stands out. Dennis Kozlowski has come to personify the term greed. As you mentioned, charged with looting $600 million from his company Tyco International in cooperation with the company's former Chief Financial Office Mark Schwartz, who is now Kozlowski's co-defendant.

Mr. Kozlowski, as you said, did spend extravagantly, $12 million for a property in Boca Raton, much on art which by the way he is also charged with evading taxes on, an apartment on Park Avenue for his ex- wife and an $18 million duplex on Fifth Avenue furnished with those very famous shower curtain and umbrella stands that cost thousands and thousands of dollars.

Now, Mr. Kozlowski through his defense attorney has argued that the board of directors was aware of the bonus program and the loan program, loans which were forgiven but, clearly, the prosecutors are saying this was not at all what the board had in mind, not what the company's auditors had in mind and that Kozlowski and Schwartz were able to keep this hidden from the board. If convicted, Mr. Kozlowski could face up to 30 years in prison -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, CNN's Allan Chernoff with that story. We'll be following it. Thanks very much Allan.

In the home stretch in California, a new poll predicts a surprising outcome.

An inside Iraq, one-on-one with U.S. troops, retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepherd just back from the region. We'll have his firsthand assessment. That's coming up.

And can charm work where diplomacy failed? The First Lady Laura Bush gives it a try. She meets with the French president. We'll go live to Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

With just over a week to go things are not looking especially good for the California Governor Gray Davis. The latest poll numbers indicate probable voters are now prepared to throw him out of office by a wide margin in next week's recall election.

CNN National Correspondent Bob Franken is following all of these late developments for us from Los Angeles -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Note the term probable voters, Wolf, as opposed to likely voters, a reflection on the part of the people who put together the poll for CNN/USA Today and the Gallup organization of the unpredictability of this selection.

Nevertheless, that snapshot shows a big, big vote for the recall, very bad news for Governor Gray Davis if it's borne out, 63 percent of those polled said yes they would support the recall if the election was held today, no, 35 percent.

In addition to which Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to this poll, has substantially moved up in the polls, Schwarzenegger at 40 percent, Bustamante 25 percent, bad news for the Democrats. On the face of it good news for Schwarzenegger but Schwarzenegger was focusing on what he says are the characteristic attack ads of Governor Davis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's to be expected when the polls look bad for Davis and good for me that he would just go and start campaigning the traditional way, which is negative campaigning and all that stuff. I mean that's, you know, the only way he can do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Well, the Davis people say that the Schwarzenegger people started this with this countless relentless attacks on Davis and, anyway, he was just challenging Schwarzenegger to debate with him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: We're going to have a long range debate if we can't have a real live debate. I don't know what Mr. Schwarzenegger is afraid of. I mean I never participated in a Mr. Universe contest. I weigh maybe 165 pounds on a good day. I'm ready to go to it toe-to-toe but he seems to be the one on the run here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Back on the Republican side just in the last few minutes, the Republican Party of California has departed from its normal procedures, the leaders announcing that they would be endorsing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Of course, the other Republican in the race, Tom McClintock, he's holding a news conference about a half hour from now. They would not announce, Wolf, what the subject was going to be except that McClintock would accept a campaign challenge. About the only challenge out there, of course, is the challenge to debate Governor Gray Davis but they're saying we're going to have to wait and see.

As far as this election is concerned, the polls notwithstanding, we'll have to wait and see a little bit over a week -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And a little over a week is going to be coming up very, very soon. Bob, very quickly, as you well know the Gray Davis, the Democrats out there insisting our poll, the CNN/USA Today Gallup poll is way wrong. Their overnight tracking polls show a much, much closer race.

They're also telling me, some of these Democrats close to Gray Davis that they did see a significant narrowing when Bill Clinton, the former president was out there. He helped narrow the gap. Are you hearing any indications that the former president is going to make a repeat visit to California to help Gray Davis?

FRANKEN: I'm hearing an indication that they certainly want him to. They're talking to him about it and, of course, Wolf you're experiencing what I am and that is that all sides are furiously spinning. In that way, it's pretty much like any other election.

BLITZER: There's no difference between this election and any other election you and I have covered. Bob Franken thanks very much.

A general's report from Iraq, the Pentagon invited our military analyst, the retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepherd to spend some time with U.S. forces in Iraq. We'll get his insight. That's coming up.

And, let bygones be bygones, the First Lady Laura Bush pays a social call on the French President Jacques Chirac. We're live from Paris. Our Soledad O'Brien is standing by.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: This is the way that we grow up. This is the way that we enter our history, get in a car and find the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Riding along on America's first cross country road trip 100 years ago. The filmmaker Ken Burns captured the historic journey. He joins me live. That's coming up as well. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Trendsetters. Demi Moore has been doing it. Elizabeth Taylor has done it. And now -- get this -- almost a third of middle- age single women -- they're doing it as well. Find out what their love lives have in common. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Breaking the back of the Fedayeen. U.S. forces launch raids in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. We'll get there.

But first, let's have a quick check of the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: It's been another bloody day in Iraq. Iraqi surgents ambushed U.S. convoys, killing at least one soldier and wounding another one. The attacks come as a joint American- Iraqi force raid Saddam Hussein's hometown.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck is in Baghdad and he has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One U.S. soldier was killed and one was wounded near Habania (ph), the area around Fallujah. Apparently the military Humvee they were traveling in either hit a land mine or was hit by an improvised explosive device. And soldiers traveling in that convoy exchanged fire with the people believed to have set those explosives in the road for several hours.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, six more U.S. soldiers were wounded when the convoy they were traveling in, also in the area around Fallujah, hit an explosive device in the road. Those six wounded were taken to a military hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the raids to find those responsible for these attacks continue in the area around Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. The series of raids conducted late over the weekend resulted in the detention of dozens of suspects.

At least one of those raids was conducted as a joint operation between the U.S. military and the new Iraqi police force. Some 200 Iraqi policemen raided 15 houses in downtown Tikrit. They detained four men and found large stores of weapons and ammunition.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Harris.

The Pentagon recently invited a number of analysts, media representatives and retired U.S. military officers to visit Iraq.

Wearing all three of those hats is our own CNN military analyst, the U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepperd. He had his video camera and notebook with him. And he's joining us now here in the studio with what might call a situation report.

General Shepperd, welcome back. Glad to make sure that you got back safe and sound.

You took some home video, amateur video, but very good video. First of all, the mass graves that you saw. What exactly did you see?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, this was north of Babylon, of all places, Mahawiel (ph), the Tigris- Euphrates value, perhaps the site of the Garden of Eden. And out in this open field, 3,500 people have been uncovered there; 2,100 of them have been identified in some manner and perhaps as many as 15,000 there.

What remains on top of the ground in little mounds is plastic bags with the remains of the people that have been unidentified, their clothing, this time of thing. People shot at close range, people buried alive. There have even been some people that crawled out after being buried alive that have survived today to testify on this.

BLITZER: Well, we all knew Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator. But what did this show you?

SHEPPERD: I tell you, you can talk about it in the abstract. When you're there, it's very, very difficult to view in person and see this and realize there are, perhaps, 200 or 300 other sites like this across Iraq, 300,000, perhaps as many as half a million people executed in this manner by this regime, Wolf. It's difficult.

BLITZER: You also had a chance to speak with Iraqis, provincial leaders, others on the scene working with the coalition. What was your impression of these people?

SHEPPERD: My impression of these people, in fact, what they said to us is, we need your help. We want you to stay long enough. We want to take over and then we want you gone. But they're no matter -- they're nowhere ready for us to go yet.

Further, these people are in great danger. Many of them have been targeted and assassination attempts have been made on some of them. It's a difficult situation for them.

BLITZER: U.S. commanders on the ground told you some surprising things about their mission that they're trying to fulfill right now.

SHEPPERD: Yes. They're -- they're very, very optimistic. That kind of surprised me, the level of optimism on what they can do. And what they can do is make it safe enough to turn over the Iraqis so that we can get out. But it's going to take some time.

They other thing is, I thought they'd tell us, Hey, confidentially, we need a lot more troops. And they said, No, we don't need more troops to do what we're doing now. If the mission expands to sealing off the borders or attacking al Qaeda or preventing a civil war, they might need more troops. But right now, they say they've got enough to do what they need.

BLITZER: With your video camera, you went out and spoke with U.S. troops. I want to play a little excerpt of one conversation you had with some American troops out there. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morale is great. The soldiers are amazing every day. They understand why they're here. They see that they're making a difference everyday in what they do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About as good as can be expected, I think, being away from home for so long. But I think they folks are holding up well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do what we need to do, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Generally speaking, morale -- how was it?

SHEPPERD: Very good.

Now the first person you saw was Major General Raymond Odonero, (ph). He's the man on the spot in Tikrit, 4th Infantry Division. He's the man looking for Saddam. I asked him, Do you believe he's alive? Do you believe he's still in Iraq? He said, I believe he's alive, in Iraq, and near here, and I believe we'll find him.

The other folks were asking about the morale. Some of those were reservists that have been extended a couple times. And even their morale -- they said, Now, they're getting things under order. We know that we're going to go home. We know the schedule. And things seem to be working out.

But the most thing is -- the most important thing is, you don't concentrate on morale. You look for dispirited troops. They all understand why they're there. They all want to be home today. Morale is very good.

BLITZER: All right. General Shepperd, welcome back. Thanks for joining us. Good work.

International appeal. A trip abroad gives the first lady, Laura Bush, an opportunity to mend some fences overseas. We'll go live to Paris. Our Soledad O'Brien is covering the first lady.

And in the driver's seat for America's first road trip. The famed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns talks with me live about an unforgettable journey he's reporting on.

First, in case you were out enjoying the weekend, here is our "Weekend Snapshot."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Vatican promotions. Pope John Paul II has named 31 new cardinals. The announcement came yesterday at the Vatican. The new cardinals will be elevated during ceremonies late next month, marking John Paul's 25th anniversary as head of the Roman Catholic Church. One American is among the group.

Death of a history maker. Althea Gibson, the first African- American to win Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles, died yesterday. The South Carolina native was 76. In 1950, Gibson became the first black tennis player allowed to compete in the U.S. Open.

Wild ride at the race. Some frightening moments yesterday during the EA Sports 500 at the Talladega super speedway. Elliott Sadler (ph) was taken out of the race in a spectacular crash. His car flipped several times on the back stretch. Sadler (ph) was taken to a hospital, where he was examined and released.

Close but not worst. The Detroit Tigers avoided the 1962 U.S. New York Mets modern-day record for losses with a 9-4 victory over Minnesota yesterday. The Tigers were just one game away from tying the Mets' record-setting 120 losses.

Beast on the loose. A gorilla is back in captivity after terrifying visitors at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. The animal broke out of its enclosure last night, injuring a 2-year-old girl and a zoo worker. The gorilla was eventually shot with tranquilizer darts as he roamed through nearby streets. And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked, what was America's first gasoline- powered commercial car called? The answer, motor wagon. The first one was sold in 1896. The vehicles were considered toys for the rich and unsuitable for serious travel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was the beginning of America's first road trip, a trip that would collect a thousand impressions of a country and a people on the cusp of extraordinary change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And this is an extraordinary story, indeed. A week from today, PBS airs a new film that spotlights an historic road trip, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson's cross-country drive in 1903. That's 100 years ago. The trip is called a fascinating and entertaining story by the man who made the film, Ken Burns. He is joining us now to talk about this intriguing, amazing story. Talk about the history of this. How did you come about this? KEN BURNS, FILM MAKER: Well, a partner of mine, Dayton Duncan (ph), stumbled upon the story about 13 years ago. He was reading about the Lincoln Highway, and it mentioned the first cross-country automobile trip in three paragraphs, but nobody has done anything.

This is a country that loves firsts. We love everything first. We love our cars and we love our road trips, and here is the story of America's first road trip. So for the last 13 years we have been digging and digging, triangulating, going to the small podunk western towns that he drove through that had never seen a car before, getting the pictures they took of him, finding the picture he took, and tracking down miraculously, after literally hundreds of cold calls, all of the letters and telegrams he sent from every stop along the way, and got Tom Hanks, our American everyman, to read the story of this American everyman from 100 years ago.

BLITZER: How long did it take?

BURNS: It took him 63 days. He had wagered -- it was all done on a bet. He was in a men's club in San Francisco. Somebody poo-poos the automobile. They said it will never replace a horse. He plunks down 50 bucks, he says I bet I can get from San Francisco to New York in less than three months, something no one else had ever done, and many people with automotive experience had tried and failed, not only miserably but hilariously. And so he sets off on the greatest journey of his life, takes along a 22-year-old mechanic, later buys a dog named Bud. All three wear goggles on this windshieldless, topless car, and make their way, grope their way across a country that has 2.3 million miles of road, but only 150 miles are paved, and all of those are in cities. So he's on cow paths, two tracks, railroad rideaways, and it is a hilarious scene.

BLITZER: What about gasoline? Where does he find gasoline? It is not as if there is an Exxon or Mobil every 10 miles.

BURNS: No, no, no. This is an age when you might have farm equipment that would run on internal combustion engines, you might have some heaters, some water pumps. So at a general store, you pray, you hope in Alturas, California or Lakeview, Oregon or Hailey, Idaho might have gasoline in containers.

But this is also a newfangled thing. It's breaking down all the tenants. It's very much like the computer industry in the '70s and the '80s where everybody is working out of their garage. And each car is this weird, hybrid contraption. And so he's figuring -- he's getting a blacksmith to build him a part, he's waiting for the stagecoach to bring him spare parts -- the stagecoach of all things -- and being towed out of the desert by the symbol of the 19th century, a cowboy, a one-horse powered engine, taking him out of the desert. I mean, it's just an amazing story.

BLITZER: It really is an amazing thing. It's almost like when Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic with a plane. This is almost the equivalent.

BURNS: This is what I don't understand, why we're not taught this. This is the same year that the Wright brothers make their first flight, it's 100 years after Lewis and Clark. This is a magnificent moment of transportation. I mean, you would be hard pressed to say that there was no machine more important than the car in the last 100 years. Nothing has been more influential in how we live, how we work, what's worked itself into our songs, into our mythology. The idea of a road trip is very much in everyone's life, and this is the first road trip. And so we're thrilled to be able to share it. It's the best thing about it, it's a bottom-up story, it's fun and funny.

BLITZER: "Horatio's Drive, America's First Road Trip." I think everybody is going to love this and I know I can't wait to see it.

BURNS: I can't wait for you to see it either.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Ken.

BURNS: Thank you.

BLITZER: A week from today on PBS. We'll be watching.

The first lady goes on a solo mission of her own, to France this time. We'll take a look at her fence-mending trip. We'll go live to Paris. That's coming up.

Plus -- what does Demi Moore know about younger men and dating that millions of other women her age are starting to pick up? We'll tell you about that. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The United States is, once again, part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations, better known as UNESCO. After a Cold War era withdrawal almost 20 years ago. The first lady, Laura Bush, was on hand for the ceremony. Part of her solo fence-mending diplomatic tour to France and Russia.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien is traveling with the first lady. And Soledad is joining us now live from Paris.

Pretty exciting trip -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. Pretty exciting and a busy day for the first lady who is wrapping things up. She started this morning with a meeting with the French President Jacques Chirac. You, of course, recall back to the frosty handshake between President Bush and President Chirac. Well, this time a completely different story as he took the first lady's hand and kissed it before he ushered her into the palace for a brief but private meeting. A White House official who attended that meeting quoted President Chirac saying let bygones be bygones. In fact, when we asked her about that, she said she agreed about what President Chirac had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I fully expect the relationship between the United States and France to continue to be very very strong. Sure, we'll have disagreements. But we'll have disagreements with a lot of people but continue to have a very strong relationship with them. It is really in our interest and the interest of France that we continue a strong friendship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Outside of the fence-mending relationships, the real reason that the first lady was in Paris was to deliver the keynote speech at UNESCO, the United States is rejoining after 19 years. Quit in 1984 citing bad management, essentially. The ceremony was capped off with a flag raising ceremony where the United States flag joined the 189 other member nations. The new Iraqi minister wanted a little time the first lady and he was granted a short audience. In her speech she stuck to issues she knows well, education and illiteracy. And She very comfortable, her speech was warmly received.

What kind of impact will her visit here have?

Some people have said good will, terrific, but does it have any real ability to make bygones be bygones to paraphrase the French President?

And in some ways time will tell if it really goes a long way in healing the fences -- Wolf.

BLITZER: There's no doubt she's an excellent diplomat for the United States, Laura Bush.

Soledad O'Brien covering the story. We'll be checking back with you tomorrow. Thanks Soledad, very much. Have a safe journey.

Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this, should there be an independent investigation into who leaked a CIA operatives identity?

Vote right now, cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the result for you when we come back.

First though let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Some feared it was an attempted assassination. Chechnya's prime minister was flown to Moscow after becoming severely ill. Doctors say it looks like a case of bad food poisoning.

You might not think of Canada as hurricane country? But it is today Hurricane Juan slammed into Nova Scotia with winds as high as 89 miles an hour and rain. At least two people died and thousands lost power.

Italy is getting back to normal after the largest blackout to hit that country since World War II. Almost all 57 million people lost power. Officials suspect it may have started with a tree branch knocking out a line in Switzerland.

A river boat carrying more than 350 people ran aground on the Rhine River in Germany. Several passengers suffered broken bones, dozens more had bumps and bruises. Water levels on the Rhine are extremely low after a summer of record heat and drought.

And here's something to cry over. The goal of this annual contest in Japan is to find the baby with the loudest cry. The Japanese say a healthy howl indicates a healthy child.

That's our look "Around the World.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: When it comes to older women dating younger men, actress Demi Moore is not alone. Look at this. Moore is 40-years-old has been dating Ashton Kutcher who is 15 years younger. Now a new survey by the AARP says such relations are getting a lot more common. A close to one-third of unmarried American women in their 40's through 60's who date are going out with younger men. Very interesting.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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Blown Cover; Casting Net in Tikrit; Interview With Ken Burns>